The Major Way The Big Bang Theory Is Changing Penny's Role Next Season

You'd think being newly engaged would be enough to shake up Penny's life next season on The Big Bang Theory, but it turns out producers have an even bigger change in store for her: After seven seasons of chasing her acting dreams, she's going to put them aside in season eight.

And she'll become...a pharmaceutical rep.

A pharmaceutical rep? Yes, a pharmaceutical rep, at Bernadette's company.

Now, on one hand, I have to admire the practicality of this story line. It may not be the stuff feel-good fairy tales are made of, but certainly plenty of people chasing a creative career eventually have to mix in a day job to pay the bills.

On the other hand: I'm wary of the motivation behind this plot twist. At the show's TCA presentation, creator Chuck Lorre dropped this bit of context: "She's going to start making some money, which will unbalance their relationship as the power shifts," he said, referring to Penny and Leonard.

That, to me, feels less like something true to Penny and Leonard—and more like something writers would come up with after googling "what do men hate when women do????". Anecdotal and statistical evidence suggest that, yes, some guys struggle in relationships where the girl is the breadwinner. But really, does anyone of either gender want to see new life breathed into that old idea?

And—more important, since this is a TV show we're talking about—does a good way out of that story line even exist? I'm not sure that it does. By the time Leonard backs off his insecurities or Penny quits her new gig to save his ego, we've all already lost.